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"I am aware of what I achieved, and I also know how difficult it was, especially when the Big 4 was dominating" - Stan Wawrinka on playing Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray

Stan Wawrinka (left) has hailed the Big 4.
Stan Wawrinka (left) has hailed the Big 4.

Stan Wawrinka has hailed the Big 4 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray for their dominance on tour.

The Swiss won three Grand Slams in what is arguably the most difficult era of tennis, beating a member of the Big-3 in each of his Slam victories. While Wawrinka has a predominantly losing record against the Big-3, he won all of his big titles by beating someone in the Big-3.

Sweet 1️⃣6️⃣ for Djokovic 👏

He defeats Wawrinka 6-2 6-2 & has now reached the QFs in Rome every year since 2007!

@DjokerNole | @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI22 https://t.co/wboOfmHrsU

Wawrinka, a three-time Major winner, is not ready to call himself a legend despite his impressive accomplishments. Acknowledging the difficulty of playing in the era of the Big 4, the 37-year-old said in a guest appearance on 'We Love Tennis' that he was aware of what he had achieved.

"I am aware of what I achieved, and I also know how difficult it was, especially in this period of tennis history when the Big 4 was dominating. So for now, legend or not, it depends where you place the cursor. We can really take stock when I stop my career."

Wawrinka said that he never dreamed of winning a Grand Slam when he was growing up.

"When I was younger, I never set myself the goal of winning a Grand Slam. My dream was to be a professional player, to live from my passion, to be part of the top 100. However, I managed to build a nice track record. But to be totally sincere, I would never have dared to dream of winning so much."

How has Stan Wawrinka fared against Big 4 of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray?

2016 US Open Champion Stan Wawrinka New York City Trophy Tour
2016 US Open Champion Stan Wawrinka New York City Trophy Tour

Wawrinka has a losing record against each member of the Big 4, trailing Federer 23-3, Nadal 19-3, Djokovic 20-6 and Murray 12-9. However, he has beaten each of them at the Majors. In fact, Wawrinka has won all three of his Major titles by beating at least one of the Big 4.

For his first Grand Slam title at the 2014 Australian Open, the Swiss beat three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in a five-set quarterfinal. Wawrinka followed that up by beating Nadal in four sets in the final for the biggest title of his career at the time.

A year later, Wawrinka beat his compatriot Roger Federer in straight sets in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros before upsetting World No. 1 Djokovic in the final, despite losing the opening set. That loss would prevent the Serb from winning the calendar Slam that year.

In 2016, Wawrinka again got the better of Djokovic at a Major, this time in the US Open final, once again recovering from a set down to win in four.

#StanTheMan or also #Stanimal wins USOpen 2016! #Swiss Tennis at its best!! #HoppSwiss https://t.co/CW1dDuRiZh

A year later, Stan Wawrinka beat Murray in a five-set Roland Garros semifinal but lost against Nadal in the final.


Also Check Out: Roger Federer French Open Titles


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